Inflatable toy



Sept. 7 1926,

w. J. LEATi-iEROW INFLATABLE TOY F'ilad. Feb. 17. 1922 Patented Sept. 7, 1926. i

UNITED STATES WALTER J. LEATHEROW', OF NEWARK,

PATENT O FICE.

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'IO HOWE BAUMANN BALLOON 00., OF NERJARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

INFLATABLE TOY.

Application filed February This invention is an inflatable toy; the ob jects being to afford entertainment by reason of the unique operation of the parts, and to so relate said parts that the art1cle're mains intact for packing within a small compass preparatory to storage and transportation. I

Broadly stated, the toy embodies an inflatable body and a collapsible support or stand therefor, whereby the body in an nflated condition may be retained temporarily up right during the outflow of the inflating medium. Said body and the stand are rendered unitary in construction by direct attachment one to the other, but owing to the expansion of the body when inflated, and to the collapse of the body when deflated, 1t is desirable, if not necessary, to employ a collapsible and expansible support which is self adjusting to the inflation and deflation of the body.

Other functions and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe toy with the body inflated.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the body deflated and the stand collapsed.

Figures 3 and a are diagrammatic views in plan with the stand expanded upon 111- flation of the body and with said stand collapsed upon deflation of the body.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional plan view showing another embodiment of the support or stand,

The article comprises, as its main parts, an inflatable body A; and a stand 13 for supporting said body in order that the toy may be placed upon a table or other surface for displaying the same.

The body is composed of flexibleinaterial, usually rubber, so that said body may be inflated to expand it in a manner analogous to an ordinary toy balloon. The stand B is of collapsible and expansive construction, said body and the stand being attached one to the other whereby the stand automatically adapts itself to the inflation and deflation of the body, as a result of which the parts comprising the toy are relieved from the tendency to separate or to pull apart one from the other in the use of said toy. As

n, the stand comprises member's t 7) Ll i'iiormally at an to ca ti her 17, 1922. Serial No. 537,344.

and joined along the line b with a view to attaining the desired collapsibility. Said members composing the stand are provided at their lower ends With extensions 0 and at their upper ends with wings 63, said extensions c producing elongated bottom edges on the supportB with a view to affording a base surface for the stand to rest steadily and firmly upon a table, counter, etc., so as to overcome a tendency of the toy to tip or fall over sideways.

The inflatable body and the stand are assembled by placing the body intermediate the upwardly extending wings (Z of said stand, the relation being such that the forward side of the body is in contact with the ips of the wings, see Figure 1. To retain the body and the stand in a connected relation they are attached or fastened in a desired manner, and as one mode of such attachment I employ an adhesive cement at 6. Such cement is well known in the toy balloon art, as well as in other arts by reason of its capacity for the attachment of rubber to other materials, and in my toy, the cement is applied at the proper points to one or both parts A B and the coated faces pressed firmly together to obtain the attachment of the rubber body and the stand. The inflatable body is attached fixedly intermediate its ends to the stand above the point of divergence of the wings, and as this body is attached at or on its front surface, or substantially so, the body in the process of deflation will collapse and fall over the stand substantially between the wings thereof as indicated in Figure 2.

The stand is composed of material suitable for the purpose, preferably a pliable mate rial such as cardboard is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular. material thus definitely mentioned. In the manufacture of the article the stand is cut from a single piece of material and doubled or folded on the line Z) for the members 6 b to occupy a diverging relation ata suitable angle one to the other.

Obviously, the stand is susceptible of production other than by stamping it from a single piece of material, and in Figure 5 there is shown another embodiment wherein members 7) b are composed of different pieces of the same material, said separate pieces bii'iin united by a desired fixed or tag-board, but it forms,

as being embelhshed or. finished to represent,- at least partially, a doll of a popular characcollapse of the body arms, and, furthermore,

such as a suitable fabric, which is cemented r otherwise attached to said members 6 I), said web constituting a hinged connection between the members and performing the function of the fold line b to secure the required lateral movement of the members in the expansion or collapse of the stand con-' currently with the inflatable body. g

The inflatable body may be finished in a desired way and embodied in different but in Figure 1 said bodyis shown ter. Said body is provided with means for inflating it; the same b e ing shown as; a mouth tube Figure 1 and partly represented in Figure 2. Said mouth piece is attached in the usual way to the lower part of the inflatable body, in which position the mouthpiece performs the function, when the body is inflated, of a counterpoise to assist in the partial retention of said inflated body in an upright condition relative to the stand, see Figure 1. Again, members D are or may be attachedto the body by cementing-the same in place to the front side thereof as at g, and above the attachment at a of the body to the stand. These members are adapted to be extended outwardly'from the body when the latter is expanded by inflating the same, but in the due to deflation thereof, said members add weightto the upper part of the body in order that it will fold or collapse in a downward direction forwardly over the stand, as in Figure 2'. Said mem ber D may be finished to simulate human the members I) b of the stand maybe prepared to represent the legs of a doll, but the embellishment of the ince of a skilled constructor. v I

The mode of using the article is apparent,

. but may be summarized as follows :'The

7 ing" surface,

I of accomplishment, the members 6 b of the stand fold toward each other, as indicated in Figure 4. As the body collapses, it tends to fold downward and forward within the diverging wings and. forwardly upon the stand, as in Figure 2, which forward movement of the body over the stand is aided by the members D.

The toy affords 7 article for the entertainment of children and a simple and interesting C, indicated in dotted lines in.

inflation or toy may take other forms wlthin the provis in process and storage.

Having thus tion, what I claim as new and desire to. secure by Letters Patent is 1. A toy embodying an inflatable body and a collapsible stand comprising rela-, tively movable unitary members connected independently of the body, said members being attached to the body to expand and contract, with inflation and deflation of said body and said stand affording the sole support for said body in the inflated or deflated condition thereof.

2. A toy embodying a collapsible and expansible unitary stand and an inflatable body, said body being attached intermediate .its endsto the stand for the latter to expand and contract in harmony with the inflation and deflation of the body, said stand aflording the sole support for said inflatable body and the body when deflated being adapted to fold forwardly and downwardly overthe stand. e

. 3. A toy embodying a stand comprising a plurality of connected members which are free to move relatively to each other, and an inflatable body attached to said members, the attachment of the body to the members being separate from the connection. of the members one to the other, whereby the stand may expand or contract inunison with the deflation of said body.

at. A toy embodying a stand composed of connected members which are movable relatively one to .the other, and an inflatable body attached at a plurality of points to said members of the stand, the attachment of the body to the stand being separate from the connection of the members to each other, said stand constituting a collapsible base the members of which are free to spread relatively upon the inflation of the body, said 'members of the stand being contractible -a plurality of connected members inovablerelatively one to the other, and an inflatable body cemented to said stand members, said attachment of the body to the stand members being separate from the connection of the stand members one to the other, said stand affording the sole support for the inflatable body and the parts of said stand being free to partake of relative: movement in unison with'the deflation and. inflation-of the bodV. I

fully described the inven- 6. A toy embodying a support comprising a plurality of members connected for relative movement, and an inflatable body attached to the stand members separately, said attachment of the body to the stand members being independent of the connect-ion of the stand members one to the other, said stand constituting the sole means for supporting the inflatable body.

7. A toy embodying a support composed of relatively movable parts, an inflatable body attached to said members of the support, and other members unitary with the body and adapted upon deflation of said body to drop substantially forwardly of the support, said movable parts constituting the sole support for the body and being free to move relatively to each other upon the inflation and deflation of said body.

8. A toy comprising a stand composed of relatively movable members connected for movement on a common axis, and an inflatable body attached to the individual members of the stand, said attachment of the body to the stand being independent of the connection between the parts comprising said stand.

9. A toy comprising a stand composed of connected members, an inflatable body attached intermediate its ends to the members of the stand, said attachment of the body to the stand being separate from the connection of the stand members one to the other, and an inflating member connected to said body at a point below the attachment of the body to the stand.

10. A toy embodying a stand composed of relatively movable members, said mem bers being provided with wings in upward diverging relation to each other, and an inflatable body attached to said wings and adapted when deflated to fold downwardly into the space intermediate said wings, said movable members constituting the sole support for the body and free to move relatively to each other in harmony with the inflation and deflation of said body.

11. A toy embodying a stand composed of relatively movable members connected for movement on acommon axis, said members being provided With wings in upwardly diverging relation, and an inflatable body attached separately to the wings of said members.

12. A toy embodying a stand composed of relatively movable membersconnected for movement on a common axis, said members being provided with wings in upwardly diverging relation, an inflatable body attached intermediate its ends to said wings of the members, and other members attached to the inflatable body substantially above the points of the attachment of said body to the members of said stand.

In testimony whereof 'I have hereto signed my name this 15 day of February,

WALTER J. LEATHEROl V. 

